nies, are more acute than the eastern ones, just as our lake rivers have more descent in them, in a given distance, than those have falling into the Ohio river. We say it is so, without knowing or caring, why it is so.

MILLSTONE.

The burghstone, of which millstones are made, in considerable numbers, in the counties of Muskingum, Hocking, Jackson and Gallia, occurs in amorphous masses, partly compact, but this rock always contains in it, more or less irregular cavities. These holes are occasioned sometimes, by the seashells which originally filled them having fallen out of their places in the rock. The aspect of this millstone is somewhat peculiar, resembling paste, which had been in a state of fermentation, when moist, and warm; but when the the heat had ceased to act, the mass became dry, hard and compact, with all the marks of fermentation remaining in it. The cavities are sometimes, filled with crystals of quartz. The fracture of this burghstone is commonly dull, and its colour is whitish or redish brown. Its hardness and cavities, when not too numerous, render it very useful for making mill stones, many of which are manufactured, and sent all over this state, and to the western ones generally.

FLINT FAMILY.

We have, perhaps, every species of the flint family, in our sandstone region. In the counties of Licking, Muskingum, Perry, Hocking and Athens, the several species of this family exist in considerable quantities. The nodules of flint, occur in thin layers, between compact limestone, and sandstone. They are so connected with the rocks above and below them, that the flint partakes of the color of the nearest rocks with which it comes in contact. These flint rocks, are some times made up of Zoophitae, or, of the most ancient sea shells. which have now become silicious. They generally lie in hori zontal lines, though sometimes, gently declining, towards the southeast. They are of every colour from a deep red or black

to a pure white. Some of them are beautifully striped with reddish and whitish streaks.

MARBLE,

Resembling that found near New Haven, Connecticut, exists on Monday creek in Hocking county, in amorphous masses. The texture of this beautiful marble, is fine, but granular. Its colors are grey, or blue, richly variegated with clouds of white, black and green. Green pervades the whole mass, it takes a fine polish and endures the action of heat very well. It contains chromate of iron, magnetic oxide of iron, and serpentine. It is a most beautiful marble, and will, one day, become as celebrated as that of Milford hills, Connecticut, which had been used one hundred years, at least, for common stone fences, before its value was discovered and made known by Professor Silliman, many years since.

LIAS.

There is a deposite of this rock near Kingston, in Ross county, near the line, which separates the sandstone from the limestone formation, and east of that line, it underlies the surface of about fifty acres of land, belonging to a Mr. Richie. On being exposed to the atmosphere, it shows reddish stripes. When burned in a hot fire, until it assumes a whitish appearance, and then the heat ought to be taken from it. Pound it until it is as fine as common slacked lime, it soon afterwards assumes a dark appearance, and becomes, finally, a deep brown. By mixing it with common slacked lime, in the proportions of twenty eight parts of lime, to one hundred parts of the lias, it hardens in water, almost instantly, and continues to harden, until it is as hard as any limestone in this region. In the burnt and granulated state, as before mentioned, by mixing a certain proportion of salt brine with it, it colors every object with which it comes in contact, a deep brown. Hence it is

ascertained to be a most valuable ore of manganese, useful to the dyer and clothier.

In the same pulverised state, before described, it is invaluable as a manure, or stimulant for vegetation, altogether superior to sulphate of lime.

It is composed of silex, lime, sulphur and manganese, and is a new mineral, which we call the

CLINTONITE.

This mineral was subjected to one hundred experiments, by myself, in May and June 1828.

There is a lias, near the Portage summit, which makes an excellent water cement. I know of no salt water in the interior of the United States, which does not issue from beneath a lias limestone, and from a great many experiments, tried on specimens of this rock, found in many parts of the secondary region, of the Western states, we are disposed to the belief that our salt water, in the interior, is produced by this rock, from below which, salt brine rises to the surface, wherever the earth has been bored deep enough, to pass below this rock.

Throughout nearly our whole hilly region, equal to ten thousand square miles of territory, this lias, is deposited, declining gently towards the southeast. There are about 100 salt works, in the state, employed in the manufacture of salt, about seventy of which, are located along the Muskingum river and its branches, in the counties of Muskingum, Morgan and Guernsey. The other salt works are in Athens, Hocking, Meigs and Gallia counties. The declination of this salt rock is ascertained to be at least, thirty feet in a mile, towards the southeast. Many of the salt wells in Morgan county are six hundred feet deep; some of them are two hundred feet deeper. The same declination, is observed along the Ohio river, from the mouth of the Scioto river, to that of the Muskingum, in all the rocks lying in place. It is true, of all the strata in all that region, of iron ore, limestone, sandstone, and clay. So it may be said, of the coal formation. This information is of importance, to the miner and the salt

manufacturer, and should be always remembered by them, when in search of either ores, or salt water.

IRON ORES,

Are found in quantities, sufficient for every useful purpose, forever, in almost every county in our hilly region, from the summit between the waters of the Ohio, and lake Erie, to the Ohio river itself. In Tuscarawas county, the canal passes through the iron ore, where it lies in inexhaustible beds, within sight of the canal, and very near it. This ore melts easily, and yields a soft malleable iron, suitable for castings and bars. In some places, it is combined with sulphur, from which copperas was made, formerly, in considerable quantities at Zanesville and Steubenville.

The common red hematite exists in large quantities, in the counties of Tuscarawas, Holmes, Coshocton, Muskingum, Hocking, Athens, Meigs, Lawrence, Scioto, Adams, Ross, Highland, Licking and several other counties in the hilly region. It exists, also, in Kentucky, opposite to Lawrence and Scioto counties, where large quantities of iron are manufactured, by the Messrs. Trimble, and others. To estimate the value of the iron manufactured in this state, now, is impossible from any data in our possession, though we know that it does amount to, from seven to ten millions of dollars annually. Its value and quantity are rapidly increasing, and will increase, for centuries to come, because the quantity of ore is inexhaustible.

CLAYS.

In the counties of Lawrence, Perry and Muskingum, a white clay is found, in abundance, suitable for pots and crucibles, used in glass factories. It stands the heat very well, growing whiter when it is exposed to the greatest heat. It will one day, be used extensively, in the manufacture of Liverpool earthen wares. It contains no iron, and is almost infusible before the blow pipe.

The substances denominated clays, are mixtures of silex

and alumine; and they sometimes, contain other ingredients, which give them various colors. Their hardness is never great. They are easily cut with a knife, and may be polished by the finger nail. When thrown into water they crumble more or less readily, and become minutely divided. Many of our clays, when moistened, yield a peculiar odour, called argilaceous. Some varieties, by a due degree of moisture, and by proper management, are converted into a paste, more or less ductile, and constitute the basis, of several kinds of pottery. Other varieties, when immersed in water, are resolved into a fine, loose powder, nearly, or quite, destitute of ductility, and are employed as pigments. Such are found in Lawrence county, where they were formerly used instead of Spanish whiting.

A few remarks on the uses of clays which are ductile, may not here be out of place. These clays when duly moistened, if they possess unctuosity, ductility and tenacity, are capable of assuming various forms, without breaking. They possess a strong affinity for water, hence their avidity for moisture, and hence, they strongly adhere to the tongue or the lip.

To the existence of clay beneath the surface, we are chiefly indebted, for all our springs, which rise and flow on the surface, because these clays resist the further progress downwards, of the waters which falling on the surface, settle downwards, until stopped by the clay beneath. compelled to rise in valleys, or run out of the and descend into the valleys below them. They then form rivulets and heads of rivers.

They are then sides of hills,

Of all the earthy matters, clays contribute most to the uses of man. They constitute the basis of bricks, with which, our houses are built;-they constitute too, the basis, of almost every variety of pottery, from the homely, common earthen ware, up to the beautiful, translucid porcelain. On so extensive a subject, a few facts only, will be brought forward, as more, would not be tolerated, by the general reader. Clays are essentially composed of silex and alumine, and this mixture, in any given proportions to each other, is infusible, in any fur